Honda Domination at Motegi 500 with Leo’s Fourth Career Win After Last-Lap Drama and Salmonman’s Breakthrough Victory

Motegi, 19 September – The Honda teams demonstrated their dominance in a thrilling weekend at the Motegi 500, where they swept the pole positions, victories, and podium finishes in both the Zako and Tsuyo Series. The event sets the stage for an epic finale at Suzuka next month, as the 2024 HoloGT3 Japan season concludes with the highly anticipated Finale 500.

After the application of ballast to the Lexus teams, Honda drivers took full advantage of the performance gap, surging to the front and delivering a commanding performance. With both races won by Honda teams, it was a statement of intent ahead of the season finale.

Kizuhara Leo triumphed in the Zako Series race at Motegi, securing his fourth career win in Hololive GT3 after a dramatic final lap. Sakamata Chloe representative Ri Liu, who had dominated the race from pole position, collided with backmarker Jake Martinez while lapping him at Turn 2 on the final lap. The incident sent Ri Liu off track and into a spin, allowing Leo to seize the opportunity for victory. Despite the setback, Ri Liu recovered to finish in second place.

Takahashi Pin secured his first podium finish, driving for Hakui Koyori, in an impressive display of resilience. Leo, representing Murasaki Shion, last tasted victory at Fuji in the Our Bright Parade 500 Split B race and marked his win at Motegi by bowing in respect during the podium ceremony.

Shawn Goh, representing Ichijou Ririka, finished fourth, extending his championship lead over Shaneil Marcman representing Juufuutei Raden. However, the race was not without controversy, as the SSRB's Kaminari Riba got involved in an incident on Lap 5 that pushed Alticer Antanarau wide and into a spin at Turn 2.

The race also saw several retirements, with Tamoyuki Aoki, Maverick Deuxieme, and Masa Raido all spinning off at Turn 6 after losing control under braking. Their cars became beached in the gravel, ending their races prematurely. Furthermore, with Nissan's bad Motegi showing, it officially knocked Nissan out of Zako title contention.

Unsportsmanlike conduct resulted in penalties for Kaminari Riba and Jake Martinez. Both drivers were handed 30-second penalties for causing collisions, dropping Riba from 8th to 12th and Martinez further down the order into 14th.

Krzysztof Salmonman took his maiden win in the Tsuyo Series, securing victory for AZKi in a strategic masterclass. Salmonman, alongside runner-up Isekaijin Mikolev, executed a one-stop overcut strategy, which propelled them to the front of the race. This win marked AZKi’s second triumph in ARO competitions and her first in Hololive GT3.

Sean Poly, who started from second on the grid, completed the podium in third place after losing ground to Salmonman and Mikolev during the pit stops. Meanwhile, Mohd Shazren Redza, despite a strong start, had his strategists opt for a two-stop strategy, which saw him drop to fourth at the finish.

Just like in the Zako Series race before this, Nissan struggled in the Tsuyo Series at Motegi, with multiple retirements, including Mohd Shaqif Redza, Tyler Williams, and Ho Phu-My, who all went off at Turn 6. Seo Byeong-Eun and Skye finished 8th and 9th, respectively, officially knocking Nissan out of Tsuyo title contention for the season.

A notable storyline from the weekend was Rim Elgore’s misfortune. Driving for Oozora Subaru, Elgore suffered engine problems that prevented his Lexus from both getting out of the garage in qualifying and starting the race, allowing his championship lead to shrink from 400 points to just 53 points. Runner-up Raijin Kacyznski and third-place Mohd Shazren Redza are now within striking distance ahead of the season finale at Suzuka.

Zako Series Standings (Top 5)

Shawn Goh (Ichijou Ririka) – 505 points

Shaneil Marcman (Juufuutei Raden) – 397 points

Kaminari Riba (Shishiro Botan) – 322 points

Johan Sinful (Natsuiro Matsuri) – 317 points

Michael Turner (Shirogane Noel) – 230 points

Tsuyo Series Standings (Top 6)

Rim Elgore (Oozora Subaru) – 400 points

Raijin Kacyznski (Yuzuki Choco) – 347 points

Mohd Shazren Redza (Himemori Luna) – 280 points

Isekaijin Mikolev (Sakura Miko) – 269 points

Vladislav Domaschnev (Aki Rosenthal) – 201 points

Krzysztof Salmonman (AZKi) - 200 points

The stage is set for the 2024 HoloGT3 Japan season to conclude in early October at Suzuka, where the Finale 500 will determine the champions in both the Zako and Tsuyo Series. With title contenders closing in on the leaders, and Honda teams riding high after Motegi, the Suzuka showdown promises to deliver an unforgettable conclusion to the season.